Why Use Traditional Camping Gear Outdoors? Ovens River Canoe Adventure

In this video I'm heading out for a 3 day canoe trip down the ovens river in Australia with Leigh from Peak Oil Company.
I spend time fishing, navigating the river, camping on secluded river banks and dodging big rain storms.
We have a conversation around the use of traditional and heritage camping and clothing gear.
Check out Peak Oil Company here:
www.peakoilcom...
And here:
/ @peakoilcompany
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#wildcamping #canoecamping #traditionalwear

[@joshseward7445]

I work in a camping store, sell modern stuff every day but watching your videos over the last few weeks has got me wanting to make my own stuff and experience camping without all the plastics.

[@shanefraser7764]

Yes Mate back to basics like the teenagers we once were, rough as guts but plenty of fun✌️✌️✌️✌️

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Great to hear mate! I tell you what, a sheep skin bedrool feels pretty good to sleep on,. And if it's not enough padding I just ad an extra one 😂

[@Peakoilcompany]

Great to hear you're inspired to DIY. Waxing old canvas packs and jackets can be a great way to start. I have a few videos on how to wax treat your gear, I think Luke might too. Sing out if you need any tips.

[@frenchys_prospecting]

Right? I've never camped with such old school stuff which is probably why I like watching his vids. I must try it sometime

[@davef5916]

well bloody done on recovering from the dropped camera and cobbling it back together. It feels like a very full video and complete video even without the missing footage. Great to hear Leigh's insights, really wanna get some gear from peak oil soon.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks mate really appreciate hearing that, was hard to try and piece it together. And yeah peak oils stuff is really great.

[@Peakoilcompany]

Thanks Dave. I'll keep an eye out for you.

[@cookscatapults]

I'm Glad were are on this Planet at the same Time....Thanks for a Great Video...I learn something New Every time I watch Your Videos.....

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Haha thanks mate! Glad you enjoy the vids.

[@davetaylor4741]

Being an old fella, when I was growing up on the farm in cold and wet England. Our outdoor gear was all traditional. For warmth all natural wool products. And for waterproofing the waxed cotton coats. Barbour had been making them for many years. Last for ages, even doing hard work. Re-treat the cotton and amazingly waterproof. Then at some point it changed to synthetics. I liked the old stuff. It worked. Even had like oiled wool jumpers. Kept you dry and warm in cold damp conditions. And all our early tents were canvas. Heavy but good.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I hear what you are saying. The waxed canvas coats really are superior I say. The trade off will always be wieght. I just hiked into a remote river with a new 1 person canvas tent that I got. And although it was a bit heavier, it was nice being in a more traditional settup. I actually still wear my oil skin stockman jacket when working out our farm during winter and it's the best bit of kit I have.

[@waynemcmillan5970]

I am trying to get my 35 year old son to go back to some traditional gear. I bring a lot of cotton waterproofed tarps when we camp out and I prefer woollen blankets to synthetic sleeping bags. I use beeswax, cold presssed linseed oil and artist’s boiled turpentine as well as pine tar and some coconut oil. They work well in varying combinations for cotton tarps, backpacks and sacks and leather dog collars, leather belts and boots.

[@Peakoilcompany]

​@@waynemcmillan5970that's an interesting list of ingredients. I use pine tar on my skis, but I haven't used it on canvas before, nor coconut.. what are the pros and cons for each? Can you say more about your mix?

[@waynemcmillan5970]

@@Peakoilcompany The more beeswax you use the stiffer the cotton or canvas will become, which isn’t so good when the cloth cracks,so it’s important to counter this with turpentine. Using linseed oil is smelly in my opinion for personal canvas or cotton products , not so bad for tarps if allowed to dry a week in the open. Turpentine speeds up the drying process, so is very useful. Coconut oil is great for leather and cotton. I only use a small proportion of pine tar in any solution. Beeswax mixture: 500gm, Beeswax 500ml Turpentine, 250gm Coconut oil and 50 gms pine tar. If you use too much pine tar it takes a long time for the cotton or canvas to dry. I experiment with the quantities until I get the maximum waterproofing, with maximum flexibility in the cotton.

[@Peakoilcompany]

@@waynemcmillan5970 thankyou. I understand this. I typically use beeswax, boiled linseed oil and gum turpentine at ratios around 1:1:1. I hadn't thought to add coconut oil or pine tar. I see that coconut oil melts at very low temperatures, but pine tar is good.. I'll try it

[@mickm2293]

Great video. You capture the essence of the Aussie bush like no other. It is like I am there! Must get out there soon.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks heaps mate!

[@BushKayakersCampingAustralia]

Bloody nice one Luke and Leah . You still got and made a great vid Luke despite the gopro loss and Lea you're obviously a bloody a fairdinkum bloke doing it your way . love your blokes style !

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching! And yeah Leigh really is a driven human being with a vision!

[@Peakoilcompany]

Many thanks for the appreciation! Still have a long way to go to complete the vision, but I'm on a mission 😊

[@robbiefishing]

Great video in my corner of the world. Very relaxing and easy to watch. Where you caught that trout cod and camped is one of my favourite fishing spots on the whole river. Ive read through rhe comments. The crocodile comments are great. I get them a lot too, they are a great sign that the algoryrhm is promoting my video to a wider audience. Very well done. 👍👍

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

G'day Robbie! I'm stoked to see your comment here on my video because I've been a big fan of your channel for a while now. Actually your channel has been a big help as I got into fresh water fishing about 2 years ago. I've seen a few of your videos catching cod on the ovens as well. I'm down in the dandy ranges and just a stones throw away from gippsland so I love all those high country rivers for trout fishing.

[@simonhenry3815]

Nice one Luke - need to get more of the camping stores selling this stuff. The online and boutique stuff has its limits if we want to change the culture, but take my hat off to Leigh for bringing his dream to life. Sounds like an amazing few days on the water mate

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah not sure if camping stores would sell it. I'm not sure why, is it because they are not interested? Or is it because of the camping culture we have created where there is not enough demand to buy that stuff.

[@simonhenry3815]

@@TheBeardedBushranger yeah probably the latter mate - also the ease of getting all that cheap shit in from China, the hype around whatever the latest bloody gadget is etc., Too many city boys lol

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

@@simonhenry3815 To be fair, I got no qualms with city folk going outdoors in their modern gear. It's good they are getting out there. It's just that (like you said) it's getting out of hand with everyone wanting the latest new bit of gear .. and the fact that everything is plastic. You raised another point ... and this was something Leigh and I spoke a lot about, the idea of outsourcing all our products to other countries, and barely anything being made in country. Leigh is one of the few folks I know who is making all his stuff in country, which makes it hard for him though cause he has to jack up his prices compared to the cheaper stuff in outdoor stores.

[@Peakoilcompany]

​​@@TheBeardedBushranger I make it myself because it's easier, less risk. If I take it to local industrial producers, I have to either get a bunch of pre orders together, or spend the big money ordering their minimum number. Overseas is even bigger money, bigger risk, more pressure. It's just easier for me to design and make things myself, in very small batches, and keep my costs low. If an investor comes along with the experience and know how to take some of my designs into industrial scale, I wouldn't protest, unless the ethical concerns around wastage, poor wages, or toxic chemicals were crossed. A few years back I went into all three of the big chain retailers, looking for a good dry bag. I noticed that all three stocked the same products, and they were all not what I was looking for. I noticed this was the case with most products. All, literally, the same. Finally, at BCF I popped a socket and asked to speak to the manager. I asked him why all the big chain stores stock the same. Why none of them have jumped onto "glamping" trend, why they provide such low quality, and ugly gear. He smiled, and explained that the wholesalers are the same in every store, and that they sign into very large production quantities that require the collective bargaining of all the retailers signed on. It was a very informative conversation. Recently, I visited Japan, and saw a very different way of doing things. They are keen on the outdoors there too, and of course, they do it in style too. I wouldn't say their market is bigger than Australians going outdoors, but the Japanese that do go outside, do it well. They have incredibly high quality gear being sold out of a range of retailers, but more importantly, they have a very strong second hand market, run by nation wide chain stores like "Second Street". These stores make reselling gear a viable option, and Facebook Marketplace can't compete with nation wide chain stores displaying and selling really high quality, collectable gear. The viability of the resale makes it viable for some people there to buy high quality gear new. They can resell it after a season and it costs them less than what we pay for low quality gear that we either throw away, or practically give away on Facebook. Foreigners visit these stores to grab bargains on collectables. I wrote more about this observation in a news article about Japan on the PeakOilCompany website. We really do need to change culture here. Our throw away, bargain cheap approach to the outdoors is evident in the way we leave our rivers and campsites. It ain't pretty.

[@JoelPenson]

Great to see an Aussie company using natural fibers for outdoor sports. I have just started designing and making gear along the same lines myself after seeing everyone covered in plastic doing the Pacific Crest Trail in USA last year. A big part of the wilderness experience is getting grounded in nature and equipment should reflect that. Not to mention all the health benefits from avoiding all the PFOA and PFOS in goretex etc. Thanks for the video and inspiration.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching mate. Yeah this whole PFOS stuff in modern gear has been a real eye opener for me. It started off as a love for history and learning how the old timers did things, and from there I'm starting to see some of the environmental and health consequences of our addiction to modern gear.

[@omalleetours3456]

Another fantastic video. I enjoyed watching old mate cook on his little cooker. Had some good meal ideas too! I checked out his clothing range also👍

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Some of the best meals I've had while out camping haha.

[@Peakoilcompany]

Haha, those cookers have changed my approach in many ways. Twig stove (solostove titan) is very efficient, and really enjoyable to use. I love how there's fuel for it, almost anywhere! And the fold down wood heater is pretty good too. No scar on the ground, efficient directed heat, easy to relocate the fire, and good for heating up a tent.. etc. And a wok, that's the way to go imo 😅

[@grahamerae3502]

What a great video you just can’t beat camping by a river

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Absolutely!

[@kobainking2198]

Cuppa made, dinner cooking and another great adventure from The Bearded Bushranger, gonna be a good one, cheers mate

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Great to hear.

[@swanieswanepoel7845]

Great video, Luke. Thank you for sharing. Here’s an old infantry tip (I believe Matsy is also familiar with this): to prevent losing essential gear, like your knife or GoPro, secure it with a lanyard. Nothing fancy is needed-simple cotton twine, 2-3 mm thick and about half a meter long, will do the trick. I look foward to your next adventure!

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

I'm pretty sure Mattsy has lost a go pro or two as well haha But yeah next water craft trip i'm on, a floating device is going on the go pro for sure.

[@peterfarrell520]

Guess im now saving for some peak oil clobber. Looks outstanding. Mabye by the time i get a new hip or two and can walk again. Your channel makes a difference for me as cannot do bugger all at mo thanks to Victoria and its woeful health system. Keeps me inspired. So thanks.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Hey mate, thanks for watching. I do hear people can be on a long wait for that kind of stuff so hoping it gets sorted for you soon enough.

[@Peakoilcompany]

All the best with the hip refurb. I hear they've got that really dialed in now, if you can get it that is! Hope to see you on the other side walking good, wearing peakoil!

[@AllThingsOutdoors]

You're on my home river. I've paddled the Ovens River from close to Bright all the way to the Murray.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Fantastic! This was the lower ovens (warby ovens national park)

[@Peakoilcompany]

The full length of the ovens would be great. Likewise, Barmah National Park, just down the Murray a bit, is really pretty

[@VonDecoy.]

Looks like a great time. You even had a sneaky SA beverage. Thanks for sharing your trip.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

haha it was only a coopers because they were on special and cheaper then a 6 pack of Vic Bitter.

[@MrSamlyle]

Thanks Luke. Appreciate you saying where you go. Alot of KZbinrs won’t say where the nice places to explore are… Great video as usual… 👍🏻🇦🇺

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I understand sometimes why. There are some places that are hard to find, and out of respect to the locals who hunt / camp / fish there and don't want it published on the internet, I can understand that. A place like here is a well known canoe route so I have no issue sharing that.

[@Peakoilcompany]

It would be great if more people took up canoeing, and got into the culture of it. More established canoe trails could be a good way to improve awareness of the health of our rivers.

[@TheKodiak72]

You cant blame them. Too many yuppies and wankers camping now and ruining sites.

[@Peakoilcompany]

@TheKodiak72 and Parks closing places down as a result. We need a culture change

[@peter-robinson]

Goretex and similar things are coated in toxic filth to make them waterproof. I’m really happy to find another local provider of natural products, thanks for sharing Leigh’s details. I’ll be keeping an eye on his channel and his stuff.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I've only recently been learning about Pfos. It's pretty concerning to think about it.

[@peter-robinson]

@@TheBeardedBushranger horrible stuff. and it’s polluting our favourite places :-(

[@michaelhamer1277]

great peaceful camp guys, leighs home made gear looks top notch and hey? ive the very same burke & wills swag that you used. all the best mate from orkney, scotland.. thanks.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks mate. Yeah I don't often take this swag out cause it has a bit of wieght. But it is good when I have a vessel to carry it!

[@Peakoilcompany]

I was in Orkney recently, testing out some gear in the winter there. Amazing place!

[@eddieintheoutdoors]

I really appreciate your conversation re natural materials, something I’ve been thinking a lot about for some time. Peak oil looks good! You guys should def do more canoe camping vids! Great stuff!

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks mate, I'd love to do more water camps. But would like to get some kind of a vintage wooden boat.

[@eddieintheoutdoors]

@@TheBeardedBushrangerhow about a traditional cedarstrip canoe!

[@Peakoilcompany]

​@@eddieintheoutdoorsis it viable to use Cedar strip without fibreglass and epoxy? Another comment here suggests canvas on frame. All these ideas are exciting to me.

[@timchilman]

Thanks!

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

😆😆😆😆 i know what this is for you legend

[@timchilman]

@TheBeardedBushranger haha well you were being a stubborn bastard.

[@UrbanKiwiana]

Gidday mate, loved it..rip to your gopro, but you still created an incredible experience with what you had. Loved hearing you both talk about thee older ways and materials. I was listening to you both and thinking dam, I literally just replaced all my gear with lighter things lol. My next stretch is 500 km to the most easten town in New Zealand gisborne. So after the last 200+km uncomfortable pack and pains..I completely changed everything. those stumps were absolutely huge in the river holy moly. Its crazy to think how important rivers and creaks have been to not only our countries natives but also those early settlers. have an amazing week ahead. Ill check out his website to as im always looking for something new and more variable.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching mate! Yeah I know the lightwieght stuff is important for big long stretches.

[@UrbanKiwiana]

@TheBeardedBushranger +Always a pleasure mate thanks for the awesome content and Australian wilderness. At this point I'm still really new to long distance hiking and wild camping, so I'm definitely trying everything lol, especially with my bad shoulder I'm looking for comfort on the long highway walks..I'd perfer to be in the bush for most of the next 500km but it's new Zealand so mostly road walking

[@RustyCandyAdventures]

Some old fellows carried a curved spoke shaver. For bush rocking chair. Some carried black smith tools. Including a wood spoke inserter. The real old horse carrage wheel had wooden rivets before heated steel rims. Also, stage coaches were put in the river for a month each year. To swell the timber to keep the wheels from buckling. Better than wheel replacement.

[@Peakoilcompany]

Awesome! I get a mild panic attack when I realise how much applicable know how we've lost.

[@darynwilson8330]

Mate another outstanding video, just what I needed to watch whilst relaxing on a Sunday afternoon 😊

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching mate.

[@simonmadigan4468]

Another Sunday afternoon warm brew in hand watching my fav Bearded Wonder. Hard luck with the GO Pro. Still a fantastic vid!!!!

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Haha legend, thanks for watching.

[@Schnafflepuss]

Very zen outing this. Loved it as always thanks for taking us along. My £20 waxed jacket has never let a drop in and keeps me warm, synthetics dont come close and easily 100x the price!

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

That's great to hear. I really love the oil skin and waxed canvas stuff. I find it works great in the snow and rain!

[@Peakoilcompany]

​@@TheBeardedBushrangernot to mention wool. Well woven wool is incredible. Finding well woven wool is difficult.

[@_FNQ]

What a fantastic relaxing trip. Really enjoyed it. Pity about the lost footage, but it is what it is. Have you ever carried/used the traditional stockman's quart pot for cooking/tea/coffee? That's all I ever used when travelling/working in the North..works a treat. Keep up the awesome work👍

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

No but I've seen scotty from southerland using the quart pot. I really want to get one for myself. I have an old black billy which is ridgy didge antique, but it's a bit big. Thanks for watching.

[@paulpeople9178]

Good one mate, sorry about the go pro, had a look at peak oil coy. The kit looks good as well, we have some great small businesses in this space.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I know it might be on the pricey end, but it is very highquality handmade stuff. Thanks heaps for watching.

[@Peakoilcompany]

Thankyou.

[@Peakoilcompany]

​Regarding price, there's a breakdown on pricing on the news page of the PeakOilCompany website. It's important people see that, as it relates to the "cost of living" issue everyone is talking about lately. Which is really about our loss of living wages in Australia, and a subsequent decline in living standards.

[@paulpeople9178]

Mate, just had a read and agree. The ability to support others is the reason for living. We have raised 6 and can understand the living wage and lifestyles issue. Debt is the killer for all Hang in there quality will always/ eventually win

[@Peakoilcompany]

@paulpeople9178 thankyou for reading. It's a part of a developing manifesto of meaning and purpose, making clothing and equipment for the outdoors, using natural and non toxic materials and treatments, to a living wage, in a post industrial society...

[@jacquiedwards160]

Around 35 years ago, my ex was given some old camping equipment, tents, waterskins, fire lighting stuff from his uncle... We decided to go bush walking for the weekend within all... it was Heavy! but gave me a much cosier feeling than the newer tents.. it stayed warmer during the n I gets tò

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Fantastic stuff. Yeah it does feel cosy once you are all settup .. despite the wieght to carry it in 😂

[@longrider42]

I've been using a Trangia, since the 80's, and I still do today. Okay, its aluminum, because it's simple and easy to use, and when set up right, it is so very stable. Yes the fuel is volatile, but you get used to it. To this day I still use a set I got back in the 80's. Tough stuff.

[@Peakoilcompany]

Totally agree. I still use my trangia from 1996! Same one my friend burnt my tent down with. The ultimate trangia would be one that burns wood too.. I mean, you could do so in one already, but one that recycles the gases for efficient wood burning options, that would be wonderful.

[@longrider42]

@@Peakoilcompany Where I live those wood gasification stoves don't work. Due to either me living at 6200 feet above sea level, or the lack of hardwood to burn. I have tried. I even bought a good one. So I use a flat pack twig stove, that I can put my Trangia burner in.

[@Peakoilcompany]

@longrider42 yeah, I carry a trangia burner for backup. I'm surprised the wood gasification doesn't work up high. I haven't noticed a difference here, but the highest I've used it is 2000m..

[@longrider42]

@@Peakoilcompany I think you also need hardwood, which does not grow where I live. I did get it to sort of work once, when using Charcoal. But it was a lot of work.

[@Peakoilcompany]

@longrider42 I've cooked with cardboard.. but needed a bit of it.

[@rodgeorge7244]

Great area to visit Luke I've been up there a few times Fishing and camping in all that area the Red Gum Forests are fantastic places to explore and spend time in keep up with the great Vids mate Love your work.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah this was my first time to the ovens and I loved it. Interesting seeing the ovens open up a lot more as you get towards the murray, and it turns into an almost swamp like landscape.

[@PoshLifeforME]

Leigh's a legend, his gear is top notch. I bought the waxed canvas anorak back in the Kickstarter days, it's so versatile and I'll have it for ever.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah one of those few fellas you meet who truely stand by what they believe in .. even if it costs them.

[@captaintoot]

Great episode mate! Don't stress about the camera, as you said... Material things! Between you and Lee, you nailed it! Well done and keep em comin 🍻

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I was much more upset about loosing all the footage. But it was too good of a place to be worried about it for too long.

[@andrewcowley6979]

3:30 minutes in Australasian Darter on the bank or commonly known as snake neck bird

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah great isn't it. We started this trip near wangaratta township and I didn't know that name is actually the local name for the coromorant.

[@Peakoilcompany]

​@@TheBeardedBushrangerI gotta double triple check that now... It's hard to verify

[@lesliebryant7515]

Great video as usual Luke,look forward to everyone of them Cheers.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching!

[@cynthiaheatly5562]

love watching all your videos! I am considering making mocassin shoes like my Choctaw grandmother wore after watching The woodland escape. I know that's not camping gear but it's a start on making something natural and I am going now to check out what's available at Peak Oil for a 68 yr young wanna be bushcrafting woman! :)

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah that is great. Clothing certainly comes into camping gear as well. Shoes are certainly a whole new area for me, looking at what options are out there with traditional materials.

[@Peakoilcompany]

If you look close, I'm wearing moccasins around camp in the cooler morning. I've been wearing mocs for years now, making my own sometimes, but still checking out all the existing designs. That and turn shoes. Get into it. It's great to make your own

[@robertmorris4784]

Yes! Another adventure...

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

As usual!

[@kbangfpv6226]

Mate thank you what a great video loved it different to all the same same videos i enjoyed this much more the the usual ones 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Great to hear. Thanks for watching.

[@antnewbon2673]

Well done buddy, awesome film. Well done for the cobbling of the film.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Cheers mate, it was a bit of mucking around to do but got there in the end.

[@timchilman]

That was awesome. Lee sounds super interesting. You're starting to get me interested in trying out some older style gear now.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Snow trip with only woolen blankets 😂

[@timchilman]

@TheBeardedBushranger gonna have to work up to that I think

[@astrogoodvibes6164]

I look back to the old colonial photographers and film makers who lugged thundering great cameras and delicate glass plates into the back blocks and think how all that gear can be condensed into a 2" x 2" gopro. The failure or loss of that old equipment must have been gutting and that still remains.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

It is wild to think about. I've been watching a documentary of the shackleton survival story, and I find it amazing that lots of the journey was documented with a very big camera that was brought along. I really can't complain with my little go pro.

[@VinceWilkins-o7f]

Thanks Luke ❤

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching.

[@IanGreen-ir6ww]

Awesome video mate, sorry about your GoPro. Anyway keep them coming. We all should experience a bit of the old ways.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching mate. Yeah loosing that gopro was quite the experience haha

[@SamClarkPhotographerAdventurer]

Good on you Luke and Leigh! Certainly some valid points regarding our use of plastic in modern society. Shame about your GoPro.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching! haha yeah that Go pro debarkle has made me extra cautious for next time.

[@jacklangedyk4078]

Great video Luke . Love how you're exploring victoria. It's got so much to offer. Cheers

[@Fiona_Chasing_Light]

Looks like a great trip - and a lot of thoughtful conversation about old vs new, light vs multipurpose - I'll check out Leigh's site.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching!! Yeah Leigh does some quality stuff.

[@ironbrothers607]

Nice video mate 👍

[@craigpadley3535]

Brilliant video, bloody love oz can't wait to go back.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks mate, yeah oz is a special place.

[@david6920-r6z]

Great scenery and looked like an awful lot of fun 🇦🇺 🇳🇿

[@longrider42]

My Uncle who had a boat. Always put a float on his keys, just in case. Maybe that's a good idea for when you are in a canoe, with a camera. First of all, a water proof camera, second a Float, so it does not sink. Great video by the way.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I was thinking this very thing about 1 second after droppign the go pro. Why didn't I get a float to attach to the go pro. Funny thing is I was being so careful for the whole of the trip being aware of loosing all my footage if I drop the go pro, and in one careless move it's gone. Tried to see if I could dive down in the spot I dropped it, but my 3 metre pole couldn't even touch the bottom and it was muddy and murky. That thing was gone.

[@JayCWhiteCloud]

Well this was a grand suggested video by the old algorithms of KZbin tonight. For those that might read this comment, understand I have strong professional biases to support the views in the video as a person raised and have lived mostly a traditional life, been a Wilderness guide for over 40 years and work also in the historic world of homesteading, historic and natural architecture restoration, and traditional life skills world. Don't own, carry or want a cell phone, as well as make and/or tailor my own clothes...All in all, I thought this was a fantastic video and I could not recommend enough that folks get out of nasty "plastic" clothing and into only traditional materials of wood, flax, hemp, leather and the related. They perform as well and often better. I would have loved to seen you in a wood frame folding kayak with canvas skin rather than those modern canoes but perhaps that could be another adventure down the line. Thanks so much for this video Luke, and I hope one day to do a trip on one of you rivers as I have not made it to Australia...at least not yet!...Blessings, j

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thank you for sharing mate. Sounds like a great way to live and you sure have some experience under your belt. All of this has come about for me because of my passion for Australian history, and as I have learnt more about how things were done with the old timers, I'm seeing many reasons why it could be better to go back to that type of gear. Yeah Leigh is wanting to look into a canoe frame that has some kind of a natural material skin over. And personally it's my goal to try and get my hands on a vintage wooden dingy (row boat) that I could use on river and lake trips. Thanks for watching.

[@JayCWhiteCloud]

@@TheBeardedBushranger Thanks so much for the reply Luke. I worked, in my youth, as an "historic docent" where I played the role of a trappers son who also worked in the flax fields, from there I got the chance to become an apprentice with old order Amish Barnwrights and spend from 13 till 23 (on and off) with them learning the craft of traditional timber framing. If you can't find a boat, or a folding kayak...make them yourselves!!!...Leigh could get a new product line to sell and you would get a years worth (at leas) of great video on crafting your own folding kayak...Loved watching and thanks again for the reply!

[@Peakoilcompany]

A skin on frame canoe would be a dream come true for me. Canoeing isn't a big thing here, sadly, so I don't know of anyone building a frame for canvas. Most designs I've looked at in North America seem to be frame with woven fibreglass then epoxy. May as well be plastic then. How does the canvas go? How do you seal the seams? Do you need to treat the canvas? What weight canvas is best?

[@JayCWhiteCloud]

@@Peakoilcompany Hi Luke...Canvas skins on kayaks, canoes or their hybrids (see the history of "Klepper Kayaks") go back over 100 years now, and kayaks and skin of frame boats thousands of years...As for durability...if taken care of (!!!...the important part)...are the same or better than modern industrial synthetics...My first Klepper, which I "patch" to the point of almost having a new skin...LOL!!!...was just post WWII and was actively used during the Korean War. For all I know it is still in use after I sold it when I joined the Marines. "Sealing" is a topic that could fill many chapters in book (or dozens of vlogs...lol.) This ranges from natural lipid and wax treatments, proper stitching pattern, to some of the now modern botanical based rubbers, used on hauls among other sundry of details. As for canvas weight it depends on the quality of the canvas as I've seen a 12 oz work great (I would consider this minimum for a tour kayak or craft with a functional payload of 800 lb to 1200 lb for the 4.6 meter size and larger. Heavy silk, leather, Linen, etc also can work depending on design. Twist my arm Luke, and you might just get me there as I'm finishing a timber frame for a friend here in Wisconsin in the next 5 months and getting my retirement all sorted out. I would quite enjoy making the Australian cotenant my "jump off" point for traveling again, as I hope to have a centralized place in Eastern Europe (probably Albania or Bulgaria) and then another in the Philippines or Malaysia which is very close to Queensland and a place I have dreamed of paddling the rivers and coast of all my life. Purchasing one of these craft can cost up to 12K (usd) and 4K is about average, but building them is a fraction of that if you have the skills, knowledge base and tooling. I hope to start one soon here in the shop I'm working out of, but I have to get this restaurant timber frame project done first...LOL!!!

[@Peakoilcompany]

@@JayCWhiteCloud hi Jay, Leigh here. Leigh is PeakOilCompany, Luke is Bearded Bushranger. Thanks for the name, Kepler. I'm familiar with the design. It's famous for being used by Australian Commandos to evade Japanese detection as they planted explosives in Japanese ships at night. I've seen video of canvas frame canoes on the Snowy River in flood, which is a daring adventure. I've wondered about pack rafts recently too. Two or three truck inner tubes, held in a canvas tarp to shape... Luke and I are in the South East of Australia, but I can vouch for the rivers in the North West, the Kimberley. To get an idea of that, look up Malcolm Douglas from the 1960s and 70s. The Kimberley is very remote, very mysterious, very impressive. Drysdale River for example. The only place I know of in Australia for learning canoe frame building in in Tasmania, in Franklin, the Wooden Boat museum. If we can't get you here in good time, I might find myself down there to learn.

[@Harper.Dufty445]

Amazing video Luke

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Cheers I appreciate it.

[@shanemiller667]

Thanks Luke- greatly enjoyed the video - i would love to try some canoe camping- best regards

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks Shane. Yeah I love the cruisy relaxed pace of canoe camping. Also being able to carry some extra heavier items

[@darrylriley9917]

Enjoying the journey you will have to build a timber strip canoe in the future

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

I'm looking at trying to get a wooden dingy!

[@mudzy6335]

This is a beautiful video.. well done

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@RustyCandyAdventures]

I was talking to a travelling historian who used to set up a stand at shows. He said children in Melbourne used to ask for old sailing ropes, made from hemp. To make fire starters, candle wicks, cleaning sticks, and more. For a little money. He knew about chumping night. Because there was no wood around melbourne.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

I like the idea of making your own fire starters, some good ideas in there!

[@Peakoilcompany]

I love the idea of a travelling historian too

[@craig2795]

Luke I loved this and the topic of moving towards traditional gear has become something I have also been moving towards but my big reason was actually because of the use of Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid in the manufacture of modern day synthetic materials such as waterproofs and things like Gortex. Most know this as PFOS ( no idea why when Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid just rolls off the tongue 🤷‍♂️😂). This PFOS a totally man made chemical and is a robust chemical but is still leaking into the environment and is poisoning it, harming all wildlife and humans alike in the process. This alone lead me to look at alternatives more and more and a lot of these are traditional, even in a modern twist for example I now use a lots of Fjallraven gear which is PFOS free. The comment about Anaconda gear was amusing I think we all used a lot from there initially, I certainly broke a lot of my tents from there 😂. But they are great in that they help people to get going for the outdoors in Australia. But I think once it becomes a passion, we all start to look at the gear more seriously and aside for my reasons above you also have to love the nostalgia of the traditional. I still can’t help but love having an A Frame Ridgeline tent, knowing there are some probably better alternatives these days but as a kid born in the 1970s these are just too nostalgic to give up, I feel like I’m camping properly when my tent is the right shape (I may have watched too many cowboy movies 😂😂). But also in the military we used A Frame Canvas tents and they worked just fine 👍 BTW sorry about the Go-Pro, have you been picking up tips on how to loose Go-Pros in the river from Mattsy? 😮

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks mate, yeah I recently watched an in depth video from my life outdoors about all the PFOS stuff. Interesting his conclusion was kind of to stick to plastics that are treated less with stuff. Would of loved to hear him talk about exploring other materials. And I've been trying to look around for one of those olschool a frame military pup tents as well. I love the look of them.

[@craig2795]

Thanks for the tip on the PFOS video- I will look at that. Not sure if the Australian Army had the same pattern, but I am currently on the hunt for an ex-British Army 9x9 canvas tent as these were also used to connect to the back of Army Landrovers and this is the camping set up I am trying to set up again. It started not too long back when discussing with some old mates how in Australia we had a full canopy set up on the Landcruiser and one of my mates reminded me of the old 9x9’s we used to use with the mobile HQ Radio Landrover. Nostalgia.

[@craig2795]

- thanks for the details on that video about PFOS it was really good - just watched it 👍 covers it quite well to get the initial message across 👍

[@shanefraser7764]

Let's bloody well Go Lukey me Lad 👍👍👍don't mind a wee float mate, watching with pure awe from Kiwiland, lovely bit of planet ya got there boys🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🍻🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿🏝⛺️⛱️🦘🏔👍🌲⛺️

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching mate. You guys would have so many options for kayak / canoe trips over in NZ.

[@frenchys_prospecting]

Excellent vid mate and some stunning footage. Let me know when you try out some prospecting. I can show you a few spots around melbourne and have some private access to a few choice spots for panning and detecting and ill steal some tips on how to actually make good videos from you.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks mate, I appreciate that. I was actually looking at a prospecting liscense the other day .. I'd love to try my hand at some simple gold panning! Might have to come and visit for a day and you show me a thing or two. You got an insta or fb page?

[@frenchys_prospecting]

@TheBeardedBushranger I don't mate. I can link my email in my bio though. How far away is Maryborough for you? My nan has a big property out on Paddy's ranges which was basically gold central for the area.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

@@frenchys_prospecting Yeah cool mate. My email is [e-mail] Maryborough is not that far, about an hour away. I'm on the other side of the dandy ranges near emerald.

[@frenchys_prospecting]

@@TheBeardedBushranger oh excellent. I thought you were Warnambool way. Im just in Humevale at the base of the ranges. Plenty of gold between you and I throughout the hills and the valleys

[@joelcrawford28]

Love it mate, crack open a can of VB🍺 before anymore 🎣😂😂😂. Sorry you lost your camera that no good, still another really great relaxing and great out bush experience.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Can't work out if VB and Fishing is the best or worst combination to go together! 😆

[@ivanoutdoors]

super interesting! i've been interested in this subject for a while now. Subed and checked out Peak Oil.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks mate I appreciate it. It really is an interesting topic.

[@richardwolski5899]

Nice vid...BB...

[@bestestusername]

Fantastic scenery and the bloody galah noise lol, ruined many a stalk. The thoughts on history are great coming from an amateur with a passion, it's good stuff.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah noisy buggers aren't they. Thanks for watching.

[@needtokeepwalking]

Great vids that keep getting stoking my interest and curiosity about the olden days. Congratulations you have now upgraded from being the ginger Daniel Andrews to the ginger John Furphy. A much better mexican. Sorry, I mean victorian. Keep up the good work, mate.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

I much prefer ginger john furphy over dan andrews 😂

[@needtokeepwalking]

@TheBeardedBushranger You see, us NSW men aren't so bad,,,, sometimes, well occasionally, I guess. But in seriousness, keep up the bloody good work mate. You make smile which is hard to do now days

[@PabloP169]

So you started near the top of the Yarrawonga weir waters, as it gets narrow after the Murray Valley Hwy bridge. I spent many hours fishing and water skiing on that section of the as a young bloke and never caught a cod, but did get many Redfin.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Great spot, yeah we camped on the 2nd night just past the murray valley hwy bridge. Great piece of Victoria there.

[@Peakoilcompany]

We put in at Peechelba Bridge..

[@cjgettinout7030]

Have just recently found you and loving your videos. I am finding your romantic view of "traditional"materials rather interesting. Having over 30 years on you i can just remember some swaggies getting around in my youth. Rather than doing 3 or 4 day trips for their amusements the real old fellas did it for months on end to find a little work and used these "traditional" materials because they had no choice, there was nothing else, i think they would have jumped at the chance to carry our modern materials and ease their burden.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Oh for sure, I don't doubt they would of loved the modern day light wieght gear and what it can afford you to do. But for me personally, it's more then just a nostolgia thing. I believe something is slowly being lost with our fast paced desire to invent new and lightwieght stuff without thinking about the consequences. I feel there is more of a connection to the past and to the land, when using these heritage materials. Sometimes generations rush into new tecnoglogy and it isn't until later we start thinking about what the trade off was. Also I'd love to hit the road long term. I did that in my 20's a lot, one time spending 8 months hitch hiking and walking up the east coast of australia with just my pack looking for work and often catching and foraging for my own food. But I'm a married man with kids and responsabilities so 3 or 4 days heading out bush is really all I could do right now.

[@Peakoilcompany]

I've gotten to know a few sheerers in the region, and am amazed that they still carry gear, they message themselves, including swags. They still wear bowyangs and moccasins! It's fascinating to see and talk to them about. It's like they simply haven't noticed the changes, or have a healthy scepticism for "progress", some of them at least. Tough bastards.

[@Rob-ze1wi]

The birds ever not make noise? Are they chatting about y'all passing thru, or always that chatty? TY!

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

haha the age old philosphical question ... Does a Galah even make a sound in the bush if no one is there to hear it.

[@craigph86]

Sorry about your footage and camera. You still made an interesting and cool video, big ups man. Peak Oil products look so nice but getting them to saffaland probably won't work and the exchange rate is terrible! Looking forward to the next video. Maybe put a lanyard on the camera in future? If it's not too irritating...

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Oh not doubt. But to be honest with you, I had to google saffaland to work out you meant South Africa. I hadn't heard that before haha. Lesson learnt, a float on my go pro for next water trips

[@Peakoilcompany]

Postage is included in the price.. but where's suffaland? Isn't that just South Sydney?

[@craigph86]

@@Peakoilcompany we are in the better sports playing, better surf and better wildlife place of South Africa... but you are in a better place. love the products you make.

[@Peakoilcompany]

@craigph86 ha, it's a pretty wild idea, surfing with white pointers. Down in tazzy, I was photographing a dead seal that had somehow managed to drag its half body up to the back of the beach to die. While I was working out the bite mark and size, and estimating the time of death to have been no more than 12 hours prior, a couple of surfers had just finished the 15km walk in with their boards, and were preparing to get in for the pretty decent waves. I think they had South African accents!

[@craigph86]

@@Peakoilcompany That's hectic bru! The great white sharks are amazing, they are being attacked by orcas here in Cape Town. But that poor seal must have been a trooper! Typical crazy saffas going to surf with sharks I imagine.

[@detecting_Nathanael]

Mate, think about putting a lanyard on your GoPro and ensuring that it's in a waterproof flotation bag.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

You can bet I will be doing that for next time 😂

[@harleybfilms]

so beautiful

[@BlackshacksBushcraft]

Bugger about the GoPro mate. On the plus side, they're not as dear as they used to be. 😃

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

haha yeah I didn't even care too much about the price (I got another one already 2nd hand from marketplace) it was loosing all the footage that was the worst part!

[@hashnoodel2012]

🤙🤙🤙

[@budget-adventure]

Sorry mate not a Murray cod, but a trout cod. The easy way to spot them is the green stripe behind the eye. But the rest of the body is coloured just the same as a Murray cod. They are a protected species and can’t be kept even though they are like mice in the oven’s bloody everywhere. And the majority are that size as well. Great trip man, dang loosing the GoPro, nothing worse.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I realized that after the video, you can see I put some text in the video saying "potentially a cod trout" ... so lucky its closed season for murray cod, and I put it back in the water and didn't eat it haha I could of been in some strife in the authorities saw that.

[@budget-adventure]

@ oh I didn’t see the text, probably on my phone writing up the comment. Looking at the size even if it was cod season it would of been too small to keep anyway. It’s a shame I hear they are a very tasty fish, and as I said they are almost in plague proportions in the ovens and some areas of the Murray. Time to lift the ban and let us keep them

[@Wisdom417]

Still good content an an interesting one

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for watching.

[@Master-Wanderer]

Aren't you ever worried about Bunyips?

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Bunyips are worried about me!

[@Peakoilcompany]

Imagine the views if you got one in your gopro. But it's now in the hands of that Bunyip, doing selfies from Billabong to Billabong

[@outsideinnature5467]

are there crocodiles in the river?

[@davidgoliath5901]

Most have been eaten by drop bears.... :)

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

So i'm in the south, most crocs are above the tropic of capricorn in Australia.

[@longrider42]

Nothing wrong with gear made from canvas and leather and wood. Its all good stuff, and easy to maintain. Wool and Cotton/Canvas is great for cloths. All these Ultra light weeboo's, have no clue what its all about. I've even heard that some do not even take a knife with them, when hiking the Appalachian Trail. Remember the Barramundi, is a bloody big fish :) Stay safe. P.S. and I now have all stainless steel cook ware.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I agree the traditional stuff is great. I'd like to get a some stainless steel cookware as well.

[@longrider42]

@@TheBeardedBushranger I have a collection of Billy Pots, from a company called "Zebra" out of Taiwan, Not only are they great for cooking but also have an small pan inside. They come in three different sizes. I really wish I could see Australia, the way you do. I do have a full Australian made Duster. I've had it for years. A great coat.

[@savagepro9060]

How do you guys know which rivers HAVE crocs or not?

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

I'm in the southern part of Australia. Most crocs are north of the tropic of capricorn.

[@savagepro9060]

GoPro, and go it did . . . LostPro Next time use a StayPro!

[@lesklower7281]

You did very despite dropping your go pro in the river

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Thanks for that.

[@devono7230]

No Pfos in trad gear.

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah I've just been learning more about Pfos as well. Seems like more in the outdoor space are talking about it.

[@devono7230]

@ yer I hope they are. I’m waiting on a reply from Swazi about it

[@bensmith4563]

Birds make alot of noise there dont they

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

Yeah noisy things!

[@jeremy-zs9gu]

wow i feel that pain shame i bet that footage was great

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

haha so many cool moments that I had lost.

[@lauriemckay3584]

why don't you make a traditional canoe like the aboriginals did

[@TheBeardedBushranger]

haha sure, just give me a couple of months to get it done.

[@Peakoilcompany]

I'm actually very curious to know if anyone has tried using the bark in something like a birchbark design. It would be pretty heavy I'd imagine, but worth a try.